Fishing ban imposed in waters off eight provinces

Effective tomorrow, Fisheries Department is imposing a fishing ban over a sizeable area of the Gulf of Thailand, in the seas off eight coastal provinces, to allow fish and other marine species to spawn and breed without disruption.

The fishing ban is divided into two periods, from June 15th to July 31st and from August 1st to September 30th. During the first period, the area affected by the ban covers the seas off Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram and Samut Sakhon, estimated at about 2,350 square kilometres.

During the second period, the area affected covers the seas off Samut Sakhon, Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao and Chon Buri, estimated at about 1,650 square kilometres.

The department said that the fishing ban in the Gulf of Thailand is imposed every year in the areas known to be spawning and breeding grounds, especially for mackerel.

Citing the catch records before and after the imposition of previous fishing bans, the department said that the average daily catch for a trawler before and after the first period of the ban is 1,500kg and 2,036.17kg respectively and 950kg and 1,451kg respectively for the second period.

The average size of the mackerel also grew, from 13cm before the ban to between 13 and 22cm after the ban.

Thitiporn Laoprasert, director-general of the Fisheries Department, said the imposition of the fishing bans in the Gulf is effective in increasing the population of many marine species.

The department has also regulated the types of fishing gear, the size of fishing vessels, the fishing methods and the mesh sizes for nets for fishing in the Gulf, to protect against over-fishing.